Solo hunting in grizzly country

[aaron_a]

Hi again, this is a bit of a follow up to my last post a while ago. I’m new to Montana this year (bigfork) and am planning on hunting this year. I don’t really know many people outside of work, so I’ll most likely be doing much of my hunting on my own. Is it a terrible idea to be hunting in grizzly country on your own? I’ve talked to a handful of people about it, most have had encounters, but while out with other people and they don’t seem to hunt solo very much.

 

[TheGrayRider]

"The sight of danger is less hideous than the thought of it." Osbourne Russell in Journal of a Trapper. 1839.

 

[406LIFE]

So hunting in general is a dangerous proposition. You need to make sure that you are prepared for every danger that comes your way, not just Grizzlies. I hunt alone in Grizzly country often. I do not necessarily find it more dangerous than when my buddy is with me. However if you have not hunted in Grizzly country before, the trepidation that you feel should be dealt with. Do not ignore it embrace it and plan for it.

 

[aaron_a]

"The sight of danger is less hideous than the thought of it." Osbourne Russell in Journal of a Trapper. 1839.

Thats a good quote. Rings true for many things in life.

 

[aaron_a]

So hunting in general is a dangerous proposition. You need to make sure that you are prepared for every danger that comes your way, not just Grizzlies. I hunt alone in Grizzly country often. I do not necessarily find it more dangerous than when my buddy is with me. However if you have not hunted in Grizzly country before, the trepidation that you feel should be dealt with. Do not ignore it embrace it and plan for it.

Most of my hunting back in Pennsylvania was solo, aside from the occasional bird hunt with some friends. I really enjoy the quiet and solitude in the woods, but I think I let the idea of bears get in my head a bit. I was hoping to get out for a solo hike/scouting session this morning, but I woke up with a nasty sinus infection, so I decided to take it easy. I've been hoping just getting out and spending time in the woods here by myself will help get me ready. I think a combination of the bears, and the shear vastness of the woods here has me a bit more anxious than I would be in Pennsylvania.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I backpack hunt alone in griz country almost exclusively. It's not a terrible idea but it is a risk. You just gotta know yourself and weigh the alternatives. If the distraction outweighs the fun you're having, no reason to push it.

 

[Pagosa]

Most of my hunting back in Pennsylvania was solo, aside from the occasional bird hunt with some friends. I really enjoy the quiet and solitude in the woods, but I think I let the idea of bears get in my head a bit. I was hoping to get out for a solo hike/scouting session this morning, but I woke up with a nasty sinus infection, so I decided to take it easy. I've been hoping just getting out and spending time in the woods here by myself will help get me ready. I think a combination of the bears, and the shear vastness of the woods here has me a bit more anxious than I would be in Pennsylvania.

Aaron - there are a lot of bears and some really big grizzly down around Bigfork and the Swan area. I found one set of grizzly tracks that the rear foot was over 13 inches over by foothills road three years ago on Easter Day. I would be careful, but having a second person doesn’t really add much protection. If your archery hunting I would avoid areas with heavy bear sign (aka chokeberries, huckleberry, and areas with lots of fresh bear scat). Go to another area. I would make some noise while walking in or out. The bears and other game animals use the gated forest service roads as travel ways. I’m not an expert on grizzlies, and I don’t hunt in NW Montana a lot, so maybe some else can provide some better direction. Go luck and driving to the hunting spot is probably more dangerous than a bear attack.

 

[Sytes]

No - to your opening post. Your fine to hunt solo.
Follow bear regs, have an InReach to communicate and proper mapping such as OnX maps. Though I also carry paper map and compass as well.

Watch for scat. Fresh scat & prints, check mud/water areas along your route... Use common sense. Don't overthink it.

Be observant. Hunt smart, i.e. prob not cross a skree slope solo, etc.

Best to ya! Many hunters hunt solo, Griz country or not.

 

[aaron_a]

Aaron - there are a lot of bears and some really big grizzly down around Bigfork and the Swan area. I found one set of grizzly tracks that the rear foot was over 13 inches over by foothills road three years ago on Easter Day. I would be careful, but having a second person doesn’t really add much protection. If your archery hunting I would avoid areas with heavy bear sign (aka chokeberries, huckleberry, and areas with lots of fresh bear scat). Go to another area. I would make some noise while walking in or out. The bears and other game animals use the gated forest service roads as travel ways. I’m not an expert on grizzlies, and I don’t hunt in NW Montana a lot, so maybe some else can provide some better direction. Go luck and driving to the hunting spot is probably more dangerous than a bear attack.

They seem to be pretty thick out here. I haven't seen one yet, just some scat up by strawberry lake. I plan on hunting the swan for elk, and the north fork for mulies.
My friend ran into a big boar in condon a few weeks ago. A few of my coworkers have had some really big bears in their yards in the Ferndale area. My boss had one getting into his koi pond a few years ago, and the painter got charged by one near ferndale while he was tracking a buck he shot.

 

[aaron_a]

No - to your opening post. Your fine to hunt solo.
Follow bear regs, have an InReach to communicate and proper mapping such as OnX maps. Though I also carry paper map and compass as well.

Watch for scat. Fresh scat & prints, check mud/water areas along your route... Use common sense. Don't overthink it.

Be observant. Hunt smart, i.e. prob not cross a skree slope solo, etc.

Best to ya! Many hunters hunt solo, Griz country or not.

I picked up an in reach this year. Pretty nice to have in this area. I find myself out of cell service pretty often. I have onx on my phone. I've never had to use a map and compass, but have been learning how. I picked up some quad maps for areas I hike in.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Seeing the grizzly is not problem. Its not seeing the grizzly thats a problem.

I solo archery elk hunted West Yellowstone, MT two years ago. I watched a lone grizzly for about thirty minutes just off Lionhead Peak. I hunted different drainages thereafter.

Keep a clean camp and a good attitude and you will be fine.

 

[greatwhitebuffalo]

Last year I had an encounter with a very large grizzly in a creek bottom before daylight. Had a round chambered, but the bear spray worked. It was following me and maybe got within 15 yards. Everything after that went fine and I'm going back to hunt this year. My personal belief is that their insatiable hunger gets clouded with some of the violent encounters that we hear/read about.

Bottom Line: Go Hunting. Some never make it back; but, you'll never be able to live with yourself for not even having tried.

 

[Cav1]

I would be careful, but having a second person doesn’t really add much protection. If your archery hunting I would avoid areas with heavy bear sign (aka chokeberries, huckleberry, and areas with lots of fresh bear scat). Go to another area. I would make some noise while walking in or out.

Pagosa was right on with this. I was scouting this past weekend and all the fresh bear poop was down in the creek bottoms and full of berry seeds.

I often hunt alone in grizzly country but carry both pepper spray and a gun. In addition to following all the Bear Aware practices I also attached a 2-inch rail to the forearm of my rifle on the support arm side so at night I can mount a Streamlight weapon light and actually shoot in the dark if I needed to. That occurred to me one night after having a black bear sniffing around when I considered the difficulties involved had I needed to shoot a scoped rifle in conjunction with a headlamp.

 

[RobG]

They seem to be pretty thick out here. I haven't seen one yet, just some scat up by strawberry lake. I plan on hunting the swan for elk, and the north fork for mulies.
My friend ran into a big boar in condon a few weeks ago. A few of my coworkers have had some really big bears in their yards in the Ferndale area. My boss had one getting into his koi pond a few years ago, and the painter got charged by one near ferndale while he was tracking a buck he shot.

In the spring they are all over the Ferndale area getting into people's chickens, etc.

I hunt (and hike) alone much of the time. 99.9% of the time you will be fine. 0.1% of the time you'll stumble across one bedded down next to a kill and you won't even see it until it's on top of you. If you want to hunt effectively you are pretty much at the mercy of chance.

There are some things you can do to prevent dying in an embarrassing way... some people have been attacked while cow calling. Other people have been shot by their partner, who were trying to kill the bear that was attacking them (lesson: use bear spray and talk about this with partners). If you leave a kill in the woods there is a good chance a griz will claim the gut pile so use the gutless method (less smell) and move your meat away from the carcass. Be VERY careful when returning to a kill site. (Down here griz actually investigate gun shots because they know there will be a gut pile.) South of you (Ovando) a hunter was killed while processing an elk so look around a lot. Read the FWP site about hunting in bear country...

 

[aaron_a]

Bottom Line: Go Hunting. Some never make it back; but, you'll never be able to live with yourself for not even having tried.

I didn’t move out here to sit on my ass and not experience it. I’m excited and intrigued by the idea of having these bears on the landscape, but I need to get out and get used to the reality of it.

 

[aaron_a]

Pagosa was right on with this. I was scouting this past weekend and all the fresh bear poop was down in the creek bottoms and full of berry seeds.

I often hunt alone in grizzly country but carry both pepper spray and a gun. In addition to following all the Bear Aware practices I also attached a 2-inch rail to the forearm of my rifle on the support arm side so at night I can mount a Streamlight weapon light and actually shoot in the dark if I needed to. That occurred to me one night after having a black bear sniffing around when I considered the difficulties involved had I needed to shoot a scoped rifle in conjunction with a headlamp.

I keep spray in a chest holster and carry a 10mm on my hip. I should probably get some night sights for it, but I might be the one person who actually really likes the factory sights on a Glock. Good idea on the light.

 

[aaron_a]

In the spring they are all over the Ferndale area getting into people's chickens, etc.

I hunt (and hike) alone much of the time. 99.9% of the time you will be fine. 0.1% of the time you'll stumble across one bedded down next to a kill and you won't even see it until it's on top of you. If you want to hunt effectively you are pretty much at the mercy of chance.

There are some things you can do to prevent dying in an embarrassing way... some people have been attacked while cow calling. Other people have been shot by their partner, who were trying to kill the bear that was attacking them (lesson: use bear spray and talk about this with partners). If you leave a kill in the woods there is a good chance a griz will claim the gut pile so use the gutless method (less smell) and move your meat away from the carcass. Be VERY careful when returning to a kill site. (Down here griz actually investigate gun shots because they know there will be a gut pile.) South of you (Ovando) a hunter was killed while processing an elk so look around a lot. Read the FWP site about hunting in bear country...

Yeah the field dressing and making return trips to pack out meat are my biggest concerns. I should be able to round up some help to pack out if I manage to put anything on the ground. My girlfriends boss has a bunch of horses that he’s always complaining don’t get enough excercise.

 

[Coach Chris]

Bottom Line: Go Hunting. Some never make it back; but, you'll never be able to live with yourself for not even having tried.

This is it!
Statistically speaking the drive to the trailhead is more dangerous than hunting.
I've had a lot of friends die in the mountains. None of them have been from bear attacks.

 

[belly-deep]

My girlfriends boss has a bunch of horses that he’s always complaining don’t get enough excercise.

Most deadly animal in the mountains

 

[Elite7]

I keep telling my wife that statistically the most dangerous part of my hunts are driving to my hunt areas and back home. There are thousands of people hiking in Yellowstone everyday and most of them aren’t going to be very bear smart